The Curse of Lost Eyes
by Dragonchips
Summary: How does one begin to pick up the remnants of a shattered life? Namikaze Naruto & Hyuga Hinata wandered through each new day, a perfect storm of blood, tears, and paperwork. What happens when they finally find their hearts can love once again? NH,M
1. Naruto's Plea

Dragonchips

The Curse of Lost Eyes

Ch. 1: Naruto's Plea

'_It had been ten years._' The man thought deeply as he sat in a meditative state.

'_Yes, ten long years now. It had been ten years since that fateful day when the heavens crashed to earth and the land of fire was ignited anew._'

Indeed it had been almost exactly ten years since the decided battle that cleansed the land of Konoha. There in the grandest seat of them all, a young man sat. He had azure eyes which spoke of the ocean, bright golden hair like the rays of the sun, and a stark white silk overcoat with a black outline of flames surrounding every edge, and a black symbol of a nine tailed fox emblazoned on the back. Underneath, he had his traditional burnt orange upper body suit with the white outline of an empty circle on his front and clashing with a deep black pair of training pants in the form of his favorite style of training clothes. To finish the look he had his trademark whirlpool symbol as his belt buckle that gleamed platinum. He was indeed truly a bewildering sight in his battle gear. But on his head, his greatest accomplishment, rested. He pulled off the sacred symbol of those who had come before him, a large red flowing headpiece adorned with ceremonial white tassels that flowed off of it and stood up.

He went out into the dark chamber off of his office that he had rebuilt with his bare hands. The room was really nothing much, a desk and a few chairs with a wooden wall, except for the man who was sitting there doing paperwork in a most unusual way.

"IF I CANNOT FINISH THIS PAPERWORK WITH MY FEET BY FIVE O' CLOCK TONIGHT THAN IT IS ONE HUNDRED LAPS AROUND KONOHA THIS EVENING BEFORE I GO HOME! THAT WAS THE DEAL! YOSH!" The man clad in an awful forest green spandex jumpsuit proclaimed. "NARUTO! I DID NOT SEE YOU THERE! SHALL WE GO OUT IN THE SPRINGTIME TO DECLARE OUR YOUTH TO THE WORLD?"

The young Hokage looked back at the man and with a small grin said,

"Sure Lee, Tomorrow. And don't forget to invite your wife like last time. You know how worried she gets when we're on our little escapades."

"YOSH! THAT IS MOST AGREEABLE NARUTO-SAMA!!"

"I told you not to call me -sama, Lee. Just Naruto," He said, "Oh and by the way Lee, did you lose track of the time?"

"WHY WHATEVER DO YOU M--… OH NO, I CANNOT BELIEVE THE TIME! WHERE HAS OUR YOUTH GONE? EXCUSE ME HOKAGE-SAMA I HAVE LAPS TO RUN!"

And with that, an energetic Rock Lee, stamped the last paper on his desk and burst out into the long streets of Konoha on his daily run.

"Damn fuzzy-brows! Why does he insist on the honorifics?" Naruto lowly grumbled with slight indignation at his eternal rival. He knew what to expect when he gave Lee the job of his protector, but it seemed that if not for his loveable oafish charm, he might have just as soon have tossed him out the window.

He closed up his office for the evening, and he went to the long and winding stairs. But instead of going down, he traveled upwards onto the roof of the colossal tower that over looked the small mountain village of Konoha. The cold spring rain poured down on him, drenching him to the marrow.

There he stood on top of the world. And wept.

Here he had the whole world wrapped around his finger. He had defeated nearly the entire Akatsuki, save a few already killed by his once comrades, rid the world of the despicable Uchiha clan, and was able to do so on nothing but his own given power and skill. Hell, the council had practically begged him to take the job of Hokage. They had even voted him in unanimously as a show of respect and gratitude toward the last of the Namikaze. There in the distance, his face immortalized in a bed of stone, his distinct whiskers cut into the side of the mountain with all of the other greats, including his mentor, his father, and his surrogate grandmother.

Yes, they were both there, and yet, he could not hold them in his arms, nor ever feel their embrace again. Yes. The years had not been kind to him. Sure, he had destroyed all of his enemies, but what was the price?

The love of his life was gone.

The man he had admired and treated like a brother was gone.

His first, second, third, and final sensei were gone.

In fact, everyone he had ever held truly dear was now one with the ground he walked on. Sure he had friends, but they were no condolence. And most of them had married off anyways and had children. Even Gaara, who had once been as lonely and desolate as him, had found somebody who could love him for being truly beautiful. Their responsibilities were so much greater than his as the Hokage could ever be.

God how he missed Tsunade and Jiraiya. Jiraiya had of course died fighting his former student and the dreaded leader of the Akatsuki, Fuuma Pein. And Tsunade's death rang clear through the dead night. He could still remember holding her wrinkled hands as she finally succumbed to the effects of the years and years of life she had used up with her miracle healing ninjutsu. Too many lives had ended in his rough hands. She had been nearly sixty when she died. And yet, who knows how much longer she could have lived if not for that which was stolen from her.

God how he missed Iruka. The first person who had ever shown him kindness and the last man on the face of the earth who he had trusted completely had been taken captive by his enemies the village of the sound and had not been seen since. That had been over five years ago now. He could do no more than presume him dead and pray for his soul at the monument dedicated to the lost shinobi every once in a while.

God, he hated the world. Loathed it with every pour, and loved it just the same.

'_Why?_' was all that would come to his mind as he continued reminiscing about the past and his lost ones. Sakura, the pink haired bombshell, who had been trained by Tsunade herself had died from a bolt of blue lightning through the heart. The chidori aimed by Sasuke, his former brother, had finally awakened the beast within him, but all too late. He killed his brother in cold blood, revenge for the misery he had brought all who came along his path, especially Sakura. And he slumped over the dying girl as she cried her way into the afterlife, with no way to heal her, cursing himself all the more for not being able to protect his most precious friend.

He had nearly killed himself there. And now that Tsunade was gone, he had no reason to live other than his job as the protector of Konoha. His heart had died that final day, and nothing could bring him back to life.

And so, he wandered through each new day, a perfect storm of blood and paperwork. He truly knew what a shinobi's life was now. Misery, and hardship, and death.

'_Oh god, I am truly pathetic._' Naruto whispered to the wind. '_Why…_

_why_?' he silently plead to the cold hard ground.

This was the way of all shinobi, truly. Like an island, those who held themselves higher were pelted by the constant waves of fate. And those who sunk to the cold hard rocks below were beaten down and eventually drowned, dying with nothing to live for and holes that bled through their entire existence. And as for those on top, they grew terribly lonely and willingly threw themselves back into oblivion for one shot of happiness in a dreary world.

Yes, that was the truth. Terrible and ugly as life was short.

And so it was for another.

* * *

Strange, how power and misfortune were married together.

Across the sprawling town, another person stood out in the pouring rain and let her soft lilac eyes empty into the chilling spring rain. In fact, her entire soul seemed to be spilling out onto the cold damp grass that day. Her knees wobbling she tried to stand, only to fall back down in a heap of tears.

She too, had proven all of her detractors wrong. She had risen from a pathetic girl mired in self-doubt and trepidation to the strong leader of the most renowned ninja clan in all of the land. In fact, her power was only slightly less than the reigning Hokage. She had indeed learned the ways of the world, and for it she was grateful. But in the process, she too had lost greatly. The last Great War between the Village of the Sound and Konoha seemed to take all those she held dear. Her cousin, who she had grown up with and loved like a brother, had died valiantly in battle against the dreaded rogue ninja of the Hidden Mist Village, Kisame Hoshigaki. The remainder of her once ninja squad, Shino and Kiba, had died protecting her in the final battle between Sasuke and Naruto when Orochimaru, the snake lord, had invaded Sasuke's mind for the final time, and proceeded to destroy all of the innocents in the area. She had only survived through her use of the perfect defense of the eight trigrams sixty four palms technique, and even that, she thought, had been but a mere fluke.

And so it was. She kneeled to the harshness of it all. And wept.

Seeing her sister outside Hanabi rushed to her to bring her out of the cold storm. She really couldn't stand to see her like this. For a soul as weak as hers to have to bear the hopes and dreams of so many, was so unfair. So she did all she could to warm her. No matter what her sister had to endure.

Those eyes were a curse.

The eyes of the Hyuga, which allowed them to see so much, inevitably caused them to take in all of the hardships of life. And for people like Hinata, whose will and spirit were already so meager, the repeated crashes of fate unraveled their very soul. It was not fair to be so timid and yet take in the world at a moment's glance. The world was cruel and strange and unwieldy to all it encountered. And to see it with eyes unable to shut was just too much for those pure of heart.

'_God knows I would feel the same,_' Hanabi thought to her self, '_if everyone I had loved had been stripped away like pawns to the fodder._'

"It's alright, sister," Hinata implored to her sister, "You can just leave me here…

I'm_ ok_."

And with those words Hanabi could not hold back any longer. They sat and cried in the barren cold of the falling Konoha rain.

And they cried and cried and it seemed the sun would never shine again.

Yes, they cried, they cried for their loss, they cried for the inhumanity of it all, but mostly they cried for the sweet release that as shinobi they so rarely were allowed to show, compassion.

* * *

With regrets in his heart, and his stomach in his sandals, the Hokage trudged in to escape, if only for a while, the cold hard rain.

* * *

Hello, everyone, this is your author dragonchips.

I don't really like to break up the fourth wall during a story, but I will this once to encourage you to review my story and visit my user page if you like what you read.

Oh, And I'm not a cruel bastard, things will not remain this depressing. I promise!


	2. What a Day!

Dragonchips

The Curse of Lost Eyes

Ch. 2: What a Day.

The next morning…

"GOD DAMN IT!" Naruto screamed as he rolled out of bed, and unceremoniously smashed his head into the wooden floor below.

"Hokage-sama is everything alright?" asked a guard ANBU who had seemingly appeared out of thin air.

"GET OUT!!" Naruto screamed as he mourned the injury of his swollen pride.

"You shouldn't scream like that Naruto-kun," said the guard stoically, "I thought that someone had really hurt you. Well, anyways, get dressed. You have a long day ahead of you. Oh, and by the way…" Naruto looked up in mild curiosity. "You should sleep naked more often, it allows for a great view of your penis!"

And before Naruto could even retort, the young ANBU named Sai jumped out the open window and was gone.

"FUCK!" Naruto screamed until he was hoarse. And after he managed to convince himself that throwing the nearest chair out the window was not a solution to his rage, he picked himself up and walked to his bathing area, muttering all the way about perverts and so called friends. It seemed like every morning started this way. The council had insisted that there was no man greater to guard him than his good friend Sai, and that because of the familiarity it would be an easy transition for the young Hokage.

"YEAH RIGHT!" Naruto fumed out loud as he opted for a quick shower to help him ease his mind. In fact the only thing that Sai made familiar was starting off the day in a terrible mood. He wondered if that was how Tsunade felt when Shizune, her guardian, would coldly dump water onto her after a night of heavy drinking. Naruto didn't have the reflexes or the strength of Tsunade, so rather than catching and beating Sai to a bloody pulp he was just forced to curse him and plot his future revenge against him and the council, who he was sure had loved every minute of their sadistic choice.

The steaming hot water, which Naruto had turned on out of habit, scolded him as his attention had been elsewhere. He screamed out in pain and jumped out of the shower only to trip and fall backwards and slam his head into the hard tiled ground.

"GOD, I JUST CAN'T GET A BREAK TODAY!!" Naruto cursed vehemently.

Sai snickered as he sat outside the door to the baths and wondered if Naruto would ever gain a sense of humor. This of course would turn into great laughter as a beet red Naruto ran by him, sprinting back to his room to get some healing ointment.

"Naruto, you forgot something!" chortled Sai.

"Huh?" Naruto started, only to look down and see that he had forgotten his towel in the confusion and was running bare-assed down the corridor. He cursed animatedly and began to chase Sai, only to realize suddenly that he still had no towel on and sheepishly run back to the shower.

His injuries had already healed by the next time that the hot water reached his back. His healing powers, a mere token of strength, were the only thing that he ever got out of being the vessel of a demon that was worth anything good. The nine tailed demon had been sealed into him by the fourth Hokage, his father, right before his death. Oh he loathed the fox that had destroyed his chances at a happy life, that had made him a freak and a danger to all those he held dear. The water soon rushed down around him and soothed his rapidly tensing body.

His day already ruined by Sai's antics, Naruto quickly finished his shower and returned back to his room to change. As he did, Sai reemerged in his room.

"Hey, do you mind?" Naruto sighed, noting the black haired bodyguard.

"Of course not!" Sai happily stated and continued watching.

Sai's smile faltered only for a second as he was picked up and thrown out of Naruto's room, landing with a thud as he knocked over the passing by Shizune. Naruto had looked on in horror as Shizune had walked around the corner right as he hurled Sai out of his doorway. They landed with a sickening thud. He ran over to help, when he heard an ominous voice coming from the bottom of the pile.

"Why hello Sai." Shizune coldly stated.

A rare look of terror ran over the young ANBU's face and as he attempted to escape from the terror of what she had in store for him, she reached up and snatched him by the collar.

"Sorry to interrupt Naruto-kun, I just needed to let you know that…" Shizune began, only to stop in mid thought and have her face turn a deep red.

"Shizune! Shizune is everything okay!?" Naruto plead as she remained silent and he began to shake her.

"Y--Yes, Naruto-kun everything is alright." Shizune assured him as she regained her composure.

Upon hearing this Naruto immediately stopped shaking her and drew her in to his bare chest for an embracing hug. Shizune went even more scarlet. Sai saw this and smirked, but also did not miss the look of pure unnatural intent to kill in Shizune's eyes that was directed right at him. He managed to quickly break her clutches and scurry away while she remained in Naruto's crushing hug.

"You shouldn't worry me like that!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun." Shizune replied.

"So let me guess," Shizune said venomously, "He was sneaking peaks at you again wasn't he?" Naruto nodded in a sober fashion. "Well, I think I know exactly how to fix that." She smirked. Naruto shuddered as he finally picked up on what Shizune's punishment for Sai would be. She was going to tell his wife, Ino.

Naruto shuddered once again as he thought of the only other blond of the village of fire and what exactly she had promised to do if she had found out, that once again Sai had been sneaking peaks at the Hokage.

* * *

_It was a foggy day in Konoha and the wind fell harshly upon all those it touched._

_Sai was laying face down in a pool of blood and mud outside of his home, with an angry kunoichi standing on top of his tattered body. The only thing that kept her from killing him right there on the spot was the fact that the Hokage plead with her not to._

"_Please Ino, don't!" Naruto plead._

"_No, this time he's went too far! I've had enough of him looking at other guys' privates."_

"_No, Ino, that's enough…" Naruto tried a final time._

_Ino looked over at her husband, who still hadn't moved, but found him to be quite awake._

"_Now listen up!" She said wildly to Sai. "Today I shall let you off easy…" Sai hearing this visibly loosened, but Ino started again, "BUT, The next time I hear that you are sneaking peeks at other shinobi's packages I will not give you the liberty of death! Instead I will take yours, chop it off, and put it in a display case in the center of town for all to see and take in!"_

_Sai looked down in sheer horror._

* * *

Naruto just couldn't shake the chills that had entered his body. And he remembered why he had always slightly feared the black haired and plain female shinobi that he so lovingly embraced. Shizune had worked under the previous Hokage, Tsunade, after all. And all of those years, he had never understood why Tsunade continued to allow her to boss her around and lead her life. Until, he had seen her one day at a bar with Lady Tsunade. After she got Shizune plastered she had proceeded to play a nasty trick on her. Sweat dropped from his forehead as he remembered normally good natured and loving Shizune nearly killing her master over stealing her panties right off her ass and showing them off for the whole bar to see.

Tsunade didn't just put up with Shizune, she was mortally afraid of the poor girl. But when Tsunade's health weakened and Shizune was suddenly stuck with no one left and no where to go, Naruto had taken her in out of the blue and made her a member of his advisors and for all intents and purposes a member of his own family. She had shared the gigantic and gorgeous entire estate of the Namikaze with him, and now she lived inside of the Hokage's tower in her old room from Lady Tsunade's regime.

"Naruto…" Shizune proceeded to kick him out of his thoughts, "Naruto, I love you too nii-san, but could you put a shirt on please?"

Naruto let her go and proceeded to flex his well tanned muscles to innocently tease her.

"NARUTO!!" Shizune blurted out as she blushed heavily.

Naruto chuckled, and was rewarded with a swift punch to his temple. '_God! Why do all of the women in my life have to try and kill me?_' He thought, as he sheepishly grinned. "Anyways Shizune, what did you need? It's not like you to come back here at this hour."

Shizune once again regained her composure and tossed him his normal shirt. "You're late. You were supposed to be handing missions out at least twenty minutes ago at your office." Shizune sighed, "You need to hurry up."

"Warui Warui, Sorry Shizune, I got held up. Go ahead and tell them I will be there shortly."

Shizune sighed and said, "If you don't get your act together they'll be calling you the second coming of the copy ninja."

Naruto laughed with a pained expression on his face, all the while thinking about his former sensei's habits. "Dismissed, Shizune."

"Hai!" She said enthusiastically as she zipped out the door.

Naruto quickly finished dressing in the ceremonial red robes of the Hokage and adorned the red headpiece that he so cherished and was off.

Going through the village at a break neck speed had become common to him in the last few years. The villagers all happened to know who the yellow haired blur of Konoha was as well, and bowed as they saw him coming. He nodded as he passed them, never stopping to chat until a dark haired man pulled along side of him.

"Shikamaru! I had no idea you were back already!" Naruto exclaimed happily at the sight of his good friend.

"Slow down," Shikamaru said while nearly collapsing from the sudden burst of speed that he had to exert to keep up with his friend. "Troublesome…"

"Oh don't give me that!" Naruto chuckled as he gave his pineapple hair style friend a hearty slap on the back, almost knocking him to the ground in the process. "So what brings you back so soon? I thought you were on your honeymoon with Temari."

"Well I was, but unfortunately, she got sick right in the middle of it." Shikamaru groaned, "I brought her back and took her to the hospital to let Hinata have a look at her, and she told me that Temari was pregnant!"

At this, Naruto's face went wide, and just as he was about to congratulate his friend, he clumsily tripped over a rock and landed with a series of ominous crashes as he skimmed across the road like a rock on top the water. And then something he wasn't expecting happened, and he was caught in mid bounce and held by a pair of soft arms.

"NARUTO-KUN!! ARE YOU OKAY!" a familiar womanly voice shouted out.

Naruto didn't even have to look. "Yes, I just got a little distracted Hinata-chan."

"You should be more careful!" Hinata said bluntly as she checked him over and fussed about his minor injuries.

"I know Hinata, but I just heard the news about… hey? Where'd he go?"

"Just heard what news Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked shyly.

"Well, I was talking to Shikamaru, and he…"

"Oh I know, isn't it just wonderful!" Hinata gushed. "I can't believe how wonderful it is that he and Temari are finally having a child!"

"Finally?" Questioned Naruto, "I thought they had only been married for a few weeks now?"

Hinata sighed at how aloof Naruto could be sometimes and just plainly said, "Yes, they have only been married for a short while, but think about how long they've been together."

Naruto sat and scratched his head. '_How long has it been now? At least since right after the Chunnin Exams… Hmm, twelve? No, thirteen years now._' And his eyes widened in understanding. He laughed, which greatly surprised Hinata and callously stated, "I could just see it now… Shikamaru walking into the room with an aroused Temari looking him up and down and saying nope, sorry. Too troublesome."

With this Hinata snorted, and Naruto got punched in the face by an angry Shikamaru who had finally noticed that the Hokage he had been talking too had been far too quiet and turned around to see him being fawned over by Hinata.

"Hey! What did ya do that for!? Naruto skulked.

"I was just beating that pervert Jiraiya out of you." Shikamaru calmly stated, "I'll remind you that that's my wife you're talking about."

"Hey! Don't compare me to that pervert!" Naruto quickly retorted. Normally being compared to his former master would have been a blessing, but he wanted nothing to do with Jiraiya's '_exploits_'.

Shikamaru just smirked. "Anyways Naruto, I've got to go, I'll be sure to tell Temari hi for you ok?"

"Ok, thanks Shikamaru. I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow." Naruto quickly replied as Shikamaru took off.

He sat there on the ground for a while and thought about his companion, and then looked upwards in horror. He had been sitting in the lap of the village's most powerful clan leader, and although he appreciated and enjoyed her company it was quite embarrassing to be sitting like a puppy in her lap.

"I'm sorry Hinata-chan!" Naruto blurted out as he quickly got up and turned to hide his blood red face.

"Naruto-kun, it's okay." Hinata quietly spoke. "And anyways, you should probably go to the hospital with me after that fall anyways."

"Sorry Hinata-chan, no way, no how!" Naruto cut her off, "You know I hate hospitals and besides, any damage that I take will be healed by the nine-tailed fox.

'_Liar_.' She plainly thought. Hinata looked up at the Hokage and smiled. '_You may pretend that your demon heals all wounds, but I know better. The deepest and worst of your wounds cannot even be reached by my scalpel. They are on display for all to see and yet you act so oblivious to them._' Snapping out of her thoughts she said, "Okay Naruto-kun you win, but since we're both going to the same place, can I accompany you there?"

Naruto put a finger to his lip thinking for a slight moment

"Ok, Hinata-chan. Let's go."

They walked and made hollow small talk, but both were held deep within their own thoughts.

Naruto's mind was strictly on the kunoichi turned medic beside him.

'_I wonder when her stutter finally left._' He thought longingly. '_So much has changed about her over the years._' He now admired her new found strength and was indeed quite happy for the change. '_I can't believe that this is the same girl who used to faint every time I tried to talk to her! Now she gives us all strength._' He silently nodded, agreeing with himself. '_That Tsunade must've had something to do with it. Anyone who had the pleasure of training with her couldn't remain shy for very long. I loved her dearly, but god, what a slave driver!_'

Tsunade in fact did take Hinata as her pupil after the death of Sakura. Hinata had never fit the bill as far as strength was concerned, but for chakra control and the ability of the Byakugan eyes to diagnose medical abnormalities, she was considered a genius medical pupil by Tsunade. The fact that she never complained and had a calm demeanor made her perfect for all of the situations that Sakura had always had trouble with. Because of these traits, Tsunade taught her the way of a physician and avoided most combat training, which was fine with Hinata seeing as how she hated the battlefield anyways. With her training complete she had taken up a permanent post as Konoha's medical director and now sat as the right hand advisor to the Hokage on his counsel.

Hinata's mind was predictable if nothing else.

'_BAKA!_' She seethed inside her own head. This was the only barrier she had yet to breach. Somehow, by her own will to change, she had lost her stutter, no longer fainted, made great speeches to the Hyuga clan and the village, and could even make contact and speak to Naruto in normal conversation, but anything beyond very small talk and she simply found herself unable to continue.

It wasn't all out of the shyness or weak nature she once had either. It was out of dedication to her fallen teammate. The thoughts of Kiba always finished her resolve. He had died in her arms, that fateful day, a simple victim of Orochimaru's cruelty. And as he laid there dying with blood on his breath and a chilling look permeating his eyes he spoke four words she would never forget,

'_I Love you Hinata.'_

And that was all he managed to say before his pulse fell, finally succumbing to the gravity of the cold damned earth.

That had convinced Hinata through her core to finally give up her pursuit of the young Hokage. It was all because of her stupid fascination with Naruto that she had failed to see his subtle swoons or even react to all of his loving gazes. She had lost her best friend and her happiness. She knew it wasn't Naruto's fault, and she harbored no resentment towards him, but she just couldn't hold herself to ever look at him in the same way she once did.

Hinata was sure that he had never thought of her as anything more than a friend, and he would never return her affection in anything more than a friendly glance or laugh. After all he was, by far, the single most handsome shinobi in the village. He had fame, riches, and power beyond measure. He carried the clan name of Namikaze, which if not for its low numbers would be the most powerful clan in the village, even greater than her own. What the hell could she offer him that he didn't already have? Beauty? Please!! He could have any female he wanted! _'Hinata-chan…'_ She thought of her humble body and let loose a miffed laugh. '_Hinata-chan…'_ It made her sick to think of all of those damn fan girls drooling on him as if they were the pit-bulls who hadn't eaten in a week and he was the small chunk of choice steak that had rolled in front of them.

"HINATA-CHAN!" Naruto shouted jarring Hinata out of her jealous rage. He looked at her sheepishly when a frown enveloped her face, and he said "Sorry to startle you, but my office is this way." He pointed to the door in a timid manner.

With this Hinata's face turned a shade of scarlet red, and she turned around and went into the Hokage's tower. '_Stupid! Stupid! How could I walk right past the door!?_" She thought in an embarrassed anger as she walked into the grand office and took her place besides the sighing Hokage.

"Please Listen Up!" Naruto began, as the once buzzing room died to a stark silence. "Now as many of you may know, in two weeks Konoha has a somber day approaching." All of the shinobi bowed their heads in regardful silence. "Yes, in exactly two weeks we will be holding the annual Day of The Lost celebration in our small town. Several shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Sand will be arriving in the next week, confirm their identities and report back to me as soon as possible so that we may give them a proper welcome. This day is still fresh in all of our minds…"

'_How Could I Possibly Forget?' _Hinata looked up in a moment of sad realization. _'To think that it would come again so fast!'_ She was upset at her own forgetfulness, but livid at that fact she had forgotten it with its significance to Naruto.

"Ladies and gentlemen," The Hokage started again, "Only ten years ago, was the will of fire that Konoha possessed, nearly drowned out of existence by our own blood. I will expect to see all of you at the monument of the lost shinobi at daybreak for a special ceremony honoring the fallen."

He wavered for only a second as he began again.

"And then we shall celebrate the rebirth of our fair village for the next three-hundred and sixty five days!" Most of the audience applauded with great enthusiasm. "So, let us begin our business for the day!" He smiled a reaffirming grin as the noise level once again spiked and he began to hand out the missions for the day.

Hinata however wasn't impressed with the display of bravado. She absolutely refused to clap when she could see that damned false grin come across his face. She knew it hurt him to talk about that day, and she would be damned if she was going to support his self-evisceration.

Naruto smiled as Hinata forced the shinobi into a line before they could leave so she could examine them for injuries before sending them out. He chuckled to himself at the other shinobi's foolishness as she snatched two of the mission cards out of their hands and sent them home to rest for the day.

* * *

When their work was finished, Hinata began to pack up her things and prepared to depart, when Naruto approached her.

"Sorry…" He began with tear stained eyes, "I know how it makes you feel to see me that way, but I have to be the hope of the people. If I can't smile, then who can?"

Hinata immediately dropped her belongings and gave the now weeping Hokage a light hug, "I know, I know…" She whispered, "I miss them too."

With this he sobbed and looked up into her kind eyes. And she looked back at him with a pained smile on her beautiful face.

The upcoming day would surely be hard on both of them.


	3. The Setup

Dragonchips

The Curse of Lost Eyes

Ch. 3: The Setup

Naruto had sobered up considerably from the morning's events as he sat in his office finishing the last of the day's paperwork. And while it was true that he could have his shadow clones finish it almost instantaneously or trick gullible Lee into doing it with a youthful challenge, he preferred every once in a while to do it with his own bare hands. It was calming and soothing for him, it kept his mind busy and he actually liked it to an extent, as it did allow him to keep up with his friends. So long as he didn't end up doing it everyday he was perfectly content with the mounds of it.

His mind drifted to the lilac haired kunoichi with increasing frequency lately. Her eyes had always fallen so kindly on him when others had been quick to dismiss or berate him. Even in his younger days when he was nothing more than a loud and weak fowl-mouthed kid she had taken to his wing, offering words of encouragement and a familiar face in times of turmoil. Her friendship meant so much, and yet…

"NARUTO HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN!!" Lee impatiently interrupted the daydreaming Hokage. "IT IS TIME FOR US TO GO OUT INTO THE WORLD AND DECLARE OUR YOUTHFUL MANLINESS!!"

Naruto, not missing a beat, stuck his thumb out in a sign of their bond of friendship and laughed heartily. "YOSH, LEE AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR LOVELY WIFE??"

Lee frowned heavily and a sulk came over his face. "SHE REFUSES TO COME, AND ASKED ME TO SEND YOU A MESSAGE." Questioningly, Naruto unfurled the note which had been thrust at him by his counterpart.

* * *

_Dear Naruto,_

_While I appreciate the offer and concern on your part, I want nothing to do with you and my husband's idiotic rants about youth and lotus blossoms. It's bad enough that he still insists on wearing those ridiculous green tights without having to hear him make an ass out of himself in front of the whole village._

_With Love,_

_Tenten._

_P.S. Please tell him that his youthful ass will be sleeping on the couch tonight if he makes another spectacle out of himself._

* * *

Sweat dropped from Naruto's brow as he began to heartily laugh, but Lee was now mired in curiosity.

"What did it say Naruto-kun?" Lee asked in a seemingly innocuous fashion.

"Nothing Lee," Naruto lied. "She just wants us to be careful out there tonight." Lee looked puzzled, but after a while his eyebrows raised on his face and he let out a tremendous whoop.

"IT IS AMAZING HOW MUCH SHE TRULY CARES ABOUT ME!!" Lee burst at the seams with happiness.

'_If you only knew Lee, if you only knew.' _Naruto mused in his mind, and got up out of his chair. "THEN WHAT IS THE PLAN TONIGHT MY MOST YOUTHFUL RIVAL?"

"TONIGHT WE SHALL START WITH CALISTHENICS, THEN GO FOR ONE HUNDRED LAPS AROUND KONOHA, AND THEN GO EAT DINNER AND VIEW THE NEW PRINCESS FUUN FILM!" Lee explained in his usual way.

Naruto's smile grew as he thought about the lead actress, the princess of the Land of Snow, which he had once saved from a group of treacherous shinobi who had destroyed nearly all of her kingdom.

"YOSH! THAT IS MOST ACCEPTABLE LEE!" Naruto continued in his spot-on impersonation of the spandex king.

"THEN LET US BE OFF!" Lee remarked as he bounded out of the door and down the staircase.

Naruto took a quick moment to sigh and then jumped out of the window to catch up with the always energetic Rock Lee.

* * *

Meanwhile across town a mischievous Tenten was sprinting to the Hyuga compound. She laughed heartily at the scheme that her and her husband had cooked up the night before.

* * *

"_MY YOUTHFUL BLOSSOM, I HAVE ARRIVED!" Rock Lee shouted as he entered the front room of his lush home._

"_Hello Dear! Dinner will be ready soon!" Tenten merrily replied._

"_YOSH! UNTIL THEN I SHALL DO ONE-HUNDRED PUSH-UPS TO LOOSEN MY HUNGRY STOMACH! ONE! TWO! THREE!" Tenten sighed as she heard her husband's daily ritual of push-ups begin. He said they were to help burn up the calories that he would soon partake in, but she wasn't buying it…_

"_Honey, dinner is ready!"_

"_YOSH!" Rock Lee stated with great enthusiasm. Tenten giggled hesitantly. She knew that he only acted this way when he was trying to act tough or something was on his mind._

"_Honey, what's the matter?" Tenten prodded._

_Lee sighed and began, "I can just not keep things from you my sweet." He turned to see her listening intently. "It is my dear friend Naruto. He has been most down for quite some time now." His eyes lost their familiar sheen. "Today, he had a look of such pain in his eyes that I could not bear to look at him all day."_

_Tenten was to say the least surprised. She had known Naruto as long as Lee had and yet had never noticed anything that would have tipped her off. Naruto had always wanted nothing more than to be the Hokage and now he was, hell he had bragged about it every day growing up, and yet to see Lee worried so greatly…_

"_Yeah, I know that feeling." She said longingly, "Haven't you noticed our former teammate recently?_

_Lee thought long and hard about the young leader of the Hyuga clan. When her teammates Kiba and Shino had been eradicated by Orochimaru and Neji had died fighting Kisame, Lady Tsunade had placed the lost heiress onto Lee and Tenten's team as a permanent replacement. It had worked out splendidly, as Hinata quickly adjusted to the teams overall battle scheme and learned confidence under Maito Gai's tutelage. She was an immediate relief to Tenten who after being forced on to a team with two workout freaks and one particularly bad tempered Hyuga was relieved to find someone who she could actually talk to without feeling angry or degraded. In fact, she and Tenten grew to be great friends over the years as they continued their missions together. And when Tenten had finally married Lee, after what had seemed an eternity of trying to get him to recognize her feelings, Hinata was the best woman at her wedding._

"_No, I really hadn't." Lee sheepishly admitted, "But you were always much closer to her than I was." Lee thought back to his wedding and the good time that he had that day. He chuckled as he thought of his beautiful wedding cake being thrown straight into his bride's face by his best man and eternal rival. Naruto had been at the center of all his happy memories for all of these years. And he couldn't help but feel a tear of sadness roll down his cheek as he thought about his friend's seemingly endless struggle against the cruelty of fate._

"_What's so funny Lee?" Tenten bluntly said, slightly miffed at having her normally caring husband seemingly laughing at her best friend's expense._

"_Oh, sorry Tenten, I was just thinking about our wedding and the trouble our best man caused us that day." Lee stated casually_

_And that had hit Tenten like a steamroller._

"_How could I have been so blind!?" She said in a sign of her mental anguish. "Lee, you remember who our best lady was that day right?_

"_Of course, my sweet, it was Hinata." Lee said with a definite reply._

"_Well, do you also remember our vows?" Tenten said as she rolled her eyes at her oblivious husband._

"_LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY!" Lee jumped up and gave his bride a big loving embrace._

"_I still don't get where you are going with this." Lee quickly ruined the good mood set by his display of affection._

"_Idiot! Think back to what Hinata and Naruto were doing during those vows!" Tenten practically screamed at her aloof husband._

_Lee now sat down cross legged and pondered his two friends. He sat there with his entire mind focused on the two. A couple of minutes passed._

"_I STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND!" Lee blatantly said, obviously irritated at his own obliviousness._

_Tenten sighed. And she smiled._

"_They couldn't keep their eyes off of each other." She said with a sadistic grin spreading to her face._

_Rock Lee now remembered what had eluded him from before. They were awfully chummy on that day, and in fact were most days. And he smiled, until his normally happy gaze worked its way into a frown._

"_It'll never work…" He said in a defeated tone most unbefitting Konoha's Green Beast. "Naruto never leaves his office anymore. All he wants to do is paperwork. And even if he is tired of it and pawns it off on me, he just merely stares out the window overlooking the town until his shift is over."_

"_Yeah, I know" Tenten replied, deflating her spirited plan. "Hinata's the same way. It's a miracle if I can get her away from the hospital at all for our weekly get together!"_

_Rock Lee's eyes went wide at this, completely amazed by their luck._

"_THAT IS PERFECT!" Rock Lee startled his unsuspecting wife. "I HAVE MANAGED TO CONVINCE NARUTO TO GO ON A MANLY DISPLAY OF YOUTHFULNESS TOMORROW!!"_

_Tenten couldn't hold her excitement back any longer as it dawned on her,_

"_YOSH! LEE YOU KNOW WHAT WE MUST DO NOW?!" Tenten screamed out, Lee's exuberance finally wearing off on her_

_Lee just grinned. He could hardly wait…_

* * *

"LEE!" Naruto tried to alert his sidetracked friend, but to no avail…

**THWACK!**

A resounding crash could be heard throughout the hills. Naruto looked up amazed as Rock Lee, met his name and slammed straight into a large stone wall that he had failed to notice on their 99th lap of the afternoon. With a huge impact, he left his silhouette permanently imprinted into the wall. Naruto ran over to his friend and started to revive him, as he heard a familiar voice starting up behind him. It was eerily familiar and sent a shiver down the young Hokage's spine. '_Oh no, not him, please not him_…' Naruto thought hesitantly as he slowly turned around to face the man.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" The older man asked with rage in his face and veins literally popping out of his head. And then he quickly stopped as he finally recognized the man, but refused to drop his deathly gaze.

"Hyuga-san, please forgive me and my clumsy friend, you see we were running around the village doing our daily training, and…" Naruto sputtered out, before being interrupted.

"ENOUGH!" Hiashi Hyuga scowled, in no mood to be dealing with young Hokage's excuses. Even though he was no longer head of the Hyuga clan, he still was the main advisor to the council, and was still mean and angry as the day he was born. He had to be nearing sixty, but much to Naruto's chagrin, he was in perfect health and was still known to beat up on the young chunin and jonin that crossed him. He was the father of the clan leader, Hinata, although Naruto never knew how because she managed to avoid the nasty Hyuga attitude even with him as a parent. He calmed down with great effort and began again. "Now would you care to tell me why Lee has decided to so nicely redecorate my outer wall?"

'_Shit, of all the possible places Lee could've hit, it just had to be the wall of the main Hyuga household_.' Naruto grimly thought as sweat furled on his brow.

"FATHER, FATHER!! WHAT JUST HAPP--" Hinata ran up to the scene only to see Naruto standing face to face with her enraged father. She quickly looked up at the nearly broken in half wall, and down again to a knocked out Rock Lee lying on the ground and put all the pieces together. She sighed heavily, and began to run damage control.

"Hinata, Wait for me! Wait, what the…?" Tenten began before quickly seeing her husband lying face down in the dirt. She looked worried for his health on the outside, but inside all she could think was, 'Oh shit, he overdid it again!' She quickly regained her composure and tried to analyze the situation. She started towards him hesitantly, "Oh, Lee what happened!?" She hurried over with her best lying tone and ran up beside him. Then she faked a look of relief and said, "He's just knocked out. I'm going to take him home now." And before anyone could argue she scooped him into her arms and ran off back in the direction of her home.

'Wait, what?' Was all Naruto could think before she was gone with a flash. A look of pure terror crossed his face as he realized that he was suddenly alone with the angry Hyuga and his daughter, all he could think was 'Oh shit! They ditched me!'

"Naruto," Hiashi began again suddenly, "I hope you know that this monstrosity must be fixed before you leave here today."

"But…" Naruto began to argue before quickly thinking better of it and shutting his wide trap. "Yes, Hyuga-san, I will fix it." He said as he began to manually break down the wall so he could rebuild it.

"Good, I will leave you here, _Hokage-sama._" Hiashi snidely remarked as he let loose a satisfied smirk at having the reigning Hokage reduced to rebuilding his wall. He soon left, with that same shit-eating grin on his face.

Hinata waited as her father disappeared behind the corner of the wall, and then looked over to the exasperated Hokage.

"_Naruto-kun_," Hinata said at an inaudible whisper.

Naruto missed this little exchange. And all the while he was working on the wall and muttering to himself about idiots in green tights and stupid old men.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata said, much more boldly.

"Huh?" Naruto said, obviously surprised that he still had company. "Oh Hinata-san! I'm sorry. I completely forgot that you were here. What did you need?"

Hinata frowned greatly at this. There was no happy greeting and not only had he forgotten that she was standing right next to him, but now he was assuming that the only reason she was there was because she had to ask him about something.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked as he stood there confused by the young woman's silence.

"Nothing." Hinata said coldly as she stomped off back towards her compound.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tenten was pissed. She sat in a large tree watching the two converse as Hinata began to leave. Here she gave them the perfect opportunity, and her friend was just walking away from him with a scowl on her face.

"I do not understand, honey…" a revived Rock Lee began as he sat in the tree watching the young quarrel, "What is happening to our carefully laid plans of spring time?"

"I don't know Lee, but I'm not going to just let it end like this." Tenten said threateningly. She was about to jump down and begin chewing out her old teammate, when she noticed the young Hokage running after her.

"But maybe, I won't have to." Tenten said happily to herself.

* * *

"HINATA! HINATA! WAIT!" Naruto yelled out hoping to stop the young heiress.

"What!?" Hinata huffed in indignation. Naruto stopped as she turned around on the spot, revealing a blood red face, laden in anger.

"Hinata, I'm sorry." Naruto said with a somber tone.

Hinata stopped at this. She noticed that Naruto had a very sincere look on his face and looked extremely downtrodden. She waited for him to continue.

Naruto began again, "I'm sorry Hinata-chan, I didn't mean to be so rude. I was just distracted between Lee and the wall, and I'm just..." Naruto began only to be stopped by tears which he tried to choke back to no avail.

Hinata now stood there heartbroken at seeing the tears stream down his normally vibrant face. Not only had she just hurt her best friend in the world, but she did it for no reason other than her own selfish pride. She knew that he had only been trying to help, and yet she threw it back in his face anyways. She felt so terrible that she was now was fighting back tears of her own.

"_so pathetic_." He finished his previous sentence at a mute whisper.

With those final words, Hinata broke down. And for the second time that day she held Naruto in her arms as tears streamed down both of their pained faces.

"Hey, Hinata?" Naruto managed to find the courage to speak again as they both settled down. "It's been a hard day. Let me take you out to dinner tonight to make up for it, ok?"

"Alright, Naruto-kun." Hinata took the chance to redeem herself with gusto. "Let me go and get ready, while you finish up with the wall."

Naruto looked happy, until Hinata turned around to leave, and he muttered '_Damn Fuzzy Brows! Leaving me to always clean up his messes._"

Hinata held back a snicker as she heard the mumblings and she ran back into the manor to get ready.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a certain tree overlooking the Hyuga estate, a married couple was celebrating their imminent success.

"YOSH! IT WORKED!" Lee proclaimed happily.

"I knew it would, but god they scared me for a little while there." Tenten sighed.

"I know the feeling, but what now dear?" Lee asked with a peck on his lovely wife's cheek."

"Now we follow them, to make sure they have a wonderful evening, and to ensure that no one else screws it up. Tenten said with a sadistic grin on her face.

Rock Lee, noticing nothing just smiled at his wife, and they scampered off into the night to prepare their battle plans.


	4. Mistaken

Dragonchips

The Curse of Lost Eyes

Ch. 4: Mistaken

Naruto stood quietly on the gentle grass trying to regain his composure. Somewhere between finishing mending the Hyuga's stone wall and waiting for Hinata to finish preparing for dinner, he had suddenly realized that he had just basically asked the prettiest woman in the entire village on a date. He now stood silently with cheeks that compared only to the sun's blaze for their bright shine and intensity.

'_What the hell am I doing?_' He mumbled angrily to himself. '_I don't even have the time to go home and change into something nicer! All I have on is my normal training gear! Shit! And not only that, but because of that damn fall earlier on the way to my office I'm completely filthy! She's going to think I'm a disgusting idiot! Hinata's going to hate me! No no, calm down Naruto, think think…"_

But, those thoughts were not meant to come as Hinata strolled up behind him.

"Naruto-kun." Hinata said in a sweet tone.

Naruto fell unceremoniously face down into the grass.

"Naruto-kun!!" Hinata shrieked upon seeing the normally collected shinobi take a quick dirt nap. "What just happened?!" She screamed as she took the man hastily into her lap to check him over.

Naruto blushed profusely as he quickly escaped the young woman's lap and stood up as quickly as possible.

"Nothing! Nothing! I'm fine! See." Naruto replied quickly and did a quick pose to show off his good health.

Hinata of course knew that something was amiss by the red look on his face, but failed to see the point in badgering him about it. "Ok, Naruto-kun, so shall we go?" She asked to see his attention squarely on the small plot of grass in front of him.

"Yeah! Let's G…" Naruto began only to look down and see his normally bright white coat covered in grass stains. "Shit!" He started cursing, only to stop and think about exactly who he was talking to. "I'm sorry Hinata-chan, but would you mind if we go over to my house first? You see between just now and my run with Lee, and Shikamaru earlier, I… I… I…" Naruto began to stutter as his gaze slowly drifted over the amazingly beautiful kunoichi in front of him. It wasn't just that she was beautiful, he had already known that for a long time, but he had never seen her in anything other than her clan's ceremonial robes, or her various jackets that she had worn during her early years, and now to see her in a long lilac silken dress that flowed in sequence wonderfully with all of her gracious movements and a sole silver necklace bridging the gap between her gorgeous face and her revealed collarbone, needless to say he wasn't really prepared for the sight of her. In fact, his jaw had nearly hit the soft earth below in admiration of her natural beauty.

"Naruto-kun." Hinata giggled profusely. "You're stuttering!" She let out an amused laugh, before quickly seeing him shy away from the embarrassment. "And yes, I don't mind if we go over to your house, so you can change before we go out."

Naruto nodded dumbly before regaining his lost composure.

"Thank you Hinata-chan I appreciate it!" Naruto smiled a wide grin eliciting another small chuckle from Hinata. "Shall we go then?" He asked hesitantly, and she just smiled and nodded happily, "Alright let's go!" Naruto stated happily, and began down the stone road. Hinata just shook her head slightly, sighing at the normally collected shinobi's obvious discomfort, and ran off to catch up to him.

As they walked, Naruto talked about anything and everything he could think of. Hinata on the other hand, just smiled and walked beside him. And on the rare occurrence that she did get a word in edgewise, she would just give a short affirmation and he would proceed to continue on and on about his office, and all of their friends, and the occasional run-ins with Sai, and he continued on and on and on, until Hinata slipped her arm in his as they walked down the street.

Naruto froze at the sudden contact, causing Hinata to stumble out of her normal walking rhythm.

"What's wrong Naruto-kun?" She asked with a look of sincere concern on her face.

"Nothing," He quickly dismissed her concern. "Anyways, we're almost home."

'_Why's he changing the subject?' _Hinata's mind silently pondered, but thought better than to ask him about it. "Yes, we are." She chimed in merrily, unaware of her surroundings. Now, it was Hinata's turn to be nervous. She had rarely ever visited a man's house before. Even when she was still paired with her former teammates, she had only ever been inside their homes once or twice, being far too shy at the time to enter freely. She had visited Naruto's apartment once to get him for a mission, and when he didn't answer she had begun to open the door to check for him, only to pass out at the thought of being in his apartment alone and possibly with the object of her affection. She remembered that when he came home that day to find her unconscious with one foot in the door and the other still outside he rushed her inside and put a damp cloth on her forehead to help the heat subside from her flushed face, only to find that when she woke up and realized where she was, she turned even more red and left before even looking around. She also vividly remembered the deadly scolding she got from Lady Tsunade when she returned with the mission papers still tightly in her grasp.

Naruto, as if sensing this, was quick to comfort her. "Don't worry Hinata, it's just a house, it'll be fine."

But when they turned away from the huge mansion in the distance to go down another road, Hinata quickly stopped in mid tracks.

"Um… Naruto?" She asked in a gentle tone, "Isn't the Hokage Estates the other way?"

"Yes, Hinata, but that's not where we're heading." He said with a small grin on his face.

Hinata's face showed her obvious question, but Naruto just laughed and motioned for her to come join him.

'_Come to think of it, didn't he say we were close?' _Her puzzled mind thought,_ 'The tower still has to be at least a twenty minute walk from here! Where exactly are we heading?'_

As if answering her silent questions, he announced "We're here!" and started to fumble through his pockets.

"Naruto, where is this?" She questioned, as she looked at the wonderful sight in front of her. They had come to the end of the street where a large wooden fence blocked all available sight into the area, except the door, which had a small fence preventing entry to what looked like the large Buddhist shrines she had come to associate only with important landmarks. As he pulled out a large golden key she looked at him once more, and he nodded in reassurance.

"Haven't you noticed the sign?" He asked almost mockingly.

"What sign?" She asked, clearly confused by his cryptic manner. And then she saw it, and her eyes went wide. "You mean this is?" She began to ask, only to be cut off by Naruto's overly calm voice.

"Yep, it sure is. This is the Namikaze clan's house, and the home of my father, the savior of the village and the Fourth Hokage." He said with a smile, and slowly opened the main gates.

"Oh Naruto, it's beautiful." Hinata somehow found the words to piece together as she stood there struggling for breath from the splendor of the sight in front of her. White and red roses ran alternating along the strewn path toward the inner sanctuary. In the distance she could see the different buildings, all in perfect balance with the serene surroundings that enveloped them. She thought about the immense size of the inner compounds, and just how warm and embracing they were compared to the exceedingly cold Hyuga clan houses. All around them in a splendor the deep cherry reds that the friendly smaller building's wood exuded in a flourish of vibrant color, warmed their bodies and seemed to invite them in further.

The stone walkway, adorned with the roses, had not a cold feeling, but one of a peaceful stroll through a garden. The path led them through the flowers and straight to a large manor on the back end of the compound, adorned with ornate carvings of stems and flowing vines that led to roses that seemed to bloom on the beautiful cherry wood front doors. From there towering over their heads they could see the immense roof that had a black tone that came to a point far in the distance in the spiral of wood that framed it.

"So, how do you like my inheritance?" Naruto asked with a knowing grin plastered on his face.

"It's absolutely wonderful!" Hinata squeaked with happiness, and then stopped as a small grin came over her face. "I thought you said we were just coming to get you some clothes? And wasn't there something about this being just another house?"

"Well, I didn't plan on it at first, but I figured since my nice dress clothes were here, and because you'd never even seen my other house, that coming here would be a nice treat." Naruto said while he let out a small blush that betrayed his confident speech.

"Uh huh, sure…" Hinata said mockingly, "You just wanted to impress me!" She said in a happy accusation.

Naruto thought hard for a second, and seeing it was futile to deny the truth, he smiled wide, scratched the back of his head and said sweetly, "Well, maybe a little."

This of course made Hinata's grin even wider and a faint tinge of pink invaded her cheeks. "Well, thank you Naruto-kun!" She said in a loving tone. She had never seen another place that was as peaceful as this one. All around, the beauty and poise made the place seem like a purified sacred ground, one that was channeling the heavenly vibrations of nirvana. She followed behind him, as questions flowed through her mind only to be forced back out by the grand interior of the main building. The cherry wood that had given the outside such warmth and splendor, now within the house gave it a tranquility and beauty that resounded off the walls and pierced through to every fiber of one's body, There were high vaulted ceilings that were adorned with classical chandeliers that were clearly meant for oil use, and not the modern lights one would expect, giving it an elegance and charm that enthralled the young kunoichi. To top off the beautiful feeling, an inviting brick fireplace stood in front of them, with a small mantle that stood out in the foreground, and sounds of crackling and whining with the low red flames licking the firewood placed carefully inside by Naruto a few seconds earlier, and lit by use of a small fire jutsu. Bookshelves made of mahogany finished the rest of the available space that the wall allowed, completely covered with books, scrolls, and loose parchment of all sorts. Around them the walls were adorned with dark red silken draperies that adorned the Namikaze clan's symbol, spaced in perfect intervals that flowed down the walls in perfect harmony around the windows and which gave a regal feeling to the surrounding room. The floor below them had a blackened red rug, which was soft to the touch and tied the room together. In front of them were two burnt red leather lounge chairs, which faced the fire, and a small rounded mahogany end table between the two that served as a rest for even more parchment, and a small lamp for reading. She thought of how interesting it was to have the study as the front room of the house, and Naruto picking up on her silent question, answered her thoughts.

"This is just the relaxation room." He said in a calm baritone. "This is where we go when we're not working and we find a good book, or when we just need peace of mind to concentrate. Even though you'd normally expect something used for solace in a quiet area, it's designed with a mutual understanding of love and quiet between the members of the family. Basically, it was designed for warm evenings when words wouldn't begin to express the feelings of love for one another in the family."

'_Wow, that's such a beautiful ideal!' _She thought with a small smile, as Naruto continued on, not noticing her diverted attention_. 'But I still can't see Naruto sitting in complete silence reading a book.' _And she let out a small chuckle that made Naruto curious as to what she could be thinking before shrugging and going towards the left opening on the far wall.

Naruto began to walk down the adjoining hallway on the left side of the bookcases, and Hinata followed him instinctively. She followed behind silently, soaking up the atmosphere as she walked, and enjoying every second of the young Hokage's company. She stopped at some pictures of his father and his mother which adorned the walls in elaborate frames, and smiled at how much he resembled the Fourth Hokage before him. She continued on after him, following the sounds of his muffled footsteps. As she went through an open door, she stood admiring the architecture as she walked forward, and with a small thud, stopped when she hit something that felt strangely familiar and yet different, before she looked down to see Naruto looking back at her with a look of shock.

"H-H-Hinata! God, you scared me!" He chided mockingly, "I thought I asked you to wait out in the room for me to get changed? Hey, what's the matter? Hinata?"

Hinata let out a small "Meep," and turned a shade of violet to match her dress. She knew where she was now. '_I'm in Naruto-kun's bedroom!"_ Her mind fluttered at the thought. "I'm s-s-sorry Naruto-kun, I just wasn't paying attention when I was following you." She said with a lump in her throat as she noticed the half undressed man in front of her.

"Well, I don't mind, but I've got to change out of these clothes and get a quick shower anyways, so unless you're comfortable with seeing me naked, you might want to go back out and wait." He said with a large grin on his face and a small chuckle under his breath at the end.

Hinata about fainted at the thought and with a quick nod, she hurried out of the room and retreated to the sanctity of the relaxation room where she sat with scarlet cheeks for the entire fifteen minutes that Naruto took to get ready.

She sat there thinking about Naruto's strange reactions to her behavior.

'_What is going on? He's acting so mysteriously! First, he clams up when I try to walk with him, and now he brings me here to show me his mansion and just laughs when I almost see him naked! What could be going on in his head?' _Hinata thought, as she sat stooped in a stunned silence.

"Hinata, I'm ready to go!" Naruto called out happily, half spooking the poor young woman lost half in thought.

She turned around, only to wish she hadn't. Her eyes looked over the strikingly gorgeous man, his tanned physique shoved roughly into a silken blue shirt that matched his ocean blue eyes. The shirt had tanned inlaid flower embroidery, an obvious homage to their surroundings, which was defined by a bud in the topmost button hole from a flower unknown to her and that radiated blue on its tiny buds despite being shaped like a cherry blossom. His pants were black slacks that outlined his ass very nicely, as Hinata noted, and flowed down, accentuating the soft look of the shirt. He had on black leather loafers that completed the casual style, and that made him to look more like a young Romeo than the influential leader of the village. What she had seen had been everything she ever dreamed of, and yet she couldn't help but turn away from him with a look of unbridled horror on her face.

'_He thinks we're on a date!'_ Hinata thought in sheer terror as she put the pieces together, and stood there admiring the shaggy rug beneath her feet. _'So that's what's been going on! And that's why he's been so weird around me! God, I would have never agreed to this if I'd have known! I'm not ready! I mean look at me, I only wore this pathetic dress!' _Her eyes wandered back up, to see the young man, looking away in trepidation.

"i…i…it's ok, I'll go change again, Hinata-san." Naruto said in a disappointed whisper that almost brought him to tears, "I just didn't know what to wear. I wanted to look good for tonight." He admitted feebly.

Hinata looked over the now sobbing man and realized just how cutting her stare had been. It had looked to him like she was judging him, and finding his looks unsatisfactory had turned her head away in disgust. She had deeply wounded him with her piecing glance.

"No, it's alright Naruto-kun!" She quickly reassured him with quick words and a loving smile. "I just thought you were treating me to dinner and not a-a-a-…"

Naruto had begun to smile when Hinata began, only to have his smile turn into a scowl and have a curious look alter his features. "A what Hinata-chan?"

Now, Hinata was extremely confused. "What, Naruto-kun? Didn't you invite me on a d-d-date?" She finally managed to sputter out.

"Well…" he began hesitantly, "no, I originally wanted for us to just go out for dinner, but when I thought about how I asked you, and after seeing you in your," he gulped audibly, "beautiful dress, I kinda thought I might have. But, then you just acted like normal, so I kinda figured we weren't, and then when you looked up at me and scowled I figured that I had messed up, and that we were on a date, but that you were trying to act comfortably, but still have me looking good, and I just don't know anymore!" He said as he ended in a huff of aggravation.

She let out a small giggle at how mixed up she had made the poor young man and stood there for a while, all the while pondering the odd set of coincidences that had led them to this point.

"You like my dress?" She asked curiously seeing as how she had just mentally cursed it a moment earlier.

He nodded firmly as the lump in his throat prevented him from answering further.

"Does that mean that you wanted to go on a date with me?" She asked him bluntly and watched as his face turned bright red in embarrassment.

"Well…well…" He stammered, "Well, yes I really did, but I figured that I didn't have any real chance."

'_What?'_Hinata mentally questioned as a frown crept on to her face. "Why would you say that!?" She confronted him, now angry from his admission.

Naruto's cheeks were now freshly dotted with moist salted rain from above as he answered her nonetheless, "Hinata-chan, I… I… I'm not good enough for you."

Her face turned angry at this. She screamed in her mind fueled by the deep hatred of seeing him weep until she looked up at him and in a blind fury began, "Are you an idiot? Stupid? CAN YOU REALLY BE THAT DENSE?" She stated now screaming at him in her frustration and practically in tears. He only cried harder at the harsh words.

She started to begin again only to see him run from her, straight out into the low hanging moonlight.

* * *

Meanwhile on the outside, a certain married couple was strolling around the inner sanctum enjoying the lush scenery of Naruto's inner estate waiting to carry out their plans, when they heard a burst of screaming coming from inside the house that sounded mysteriously like Hinata. They looked on in sheer terror as Naruto ran out of the house with tears in his solid blue eyes and ran straight into them knocking them down in a blind frenzy of tears.

Naruto looked down in horror at the sight of the two, eyes flashing in the darkness and bounded off again.

'_Even they knew?' _He thought while mired in distress._ 'Why did they let me go do this if they knew? Was this all just a game to them? I was an absolute idiot to ever believe I could be good enough for her. I'm a fool. I always have been. I just need to think. I just need to be alone. God, I'm so pathetic.'_

Rock Lee and Tenten just sat there on the ground stupefied at the events that were unfolding in front of them as Hinata ran straight past, ignoring them, and chasing Naruto into the dark night.


	5. Redemption

Dragonchips

Dragonchips

The Curse of Lost Eyes

Ch. 5: Redemption

Naruto didn't know how far he had been running, or for how long, or even in what direction his feet were taking him. Now out of the city and into the woods he just ran onward, a golden flash, in a cold moonlit spring night.

Hinata had been right on his trail, but she grew more and more unfamiliar with her surroundings. She wasn't nearly as fast as him either, so she fell far behind. She began to worry about where the man was leading her. She knew as soon as the words escaped her mouth that she had hurt him deeply, and yet all she could muster to comfort him was the profound noise of silence.

And then he stopped cold. As if on cue, he looked down to see where his tired feet had led him. And it was all he could do breathe as tears flowed freely down his pronounced jaw line. His feet failed him and he crumpled to the ground in a heap of mass, utterly destroyed from the terrible sight in front of him.

There he looked at the monument of the lost shinobi. It was simple and poignant, a black spire the protruded from the ground in an open field, and that was what destroyed its visitors all the same. The people it signified were heroes to the entire village, and it bore the inscriptions of all those who had lost their lives in the pursuit of the villages happiness. It was a reminder to all who followed a shinobi's path of the sacrifices it entailed and the loved ones who they had lost in the process. It was a sad and desperate plea for anyone to hear their lost loved one's lonely pleas to be remembered in their moment of fleeting glory, and not as the cold and dark dirt beneath them. It held the names of Naruto's lost love and her downfall, of his surrogate family, and the parents he had never come to know, but on this day, one name stared back at him as if pronouncing its presence to him, mocking and shaming him all the while.

_- Iruka Umino _-

His once sensei and eternal friend had been the source of everything positive in his life. Naruto saw him as the father he had lost, and Iruka saw him as the son he never had. Naruto had lived to make him proud, and succeeded more greatly than anyone had ever anticipated. And yet, there sat his sensei's name, inscribed in the unforgiving rock. He had gone on what was believed to be a routine scouting mission and never returned. He was deemed captured and killed after they caught Village of the Sound ninja who recalled his face with sadistic grins and barely audible chuckles. And although no one knew what had ever befallen the poor shinobi, as no body was ever found, they had placed him on that spire, a lost hero to the mourning land.

'_When will death finally come for me?_' Naruto thought as he lay prone in front of the cursed monument. '_When will my hell be over with? Me, a demon, and no true friends in the world, why can't it just take me already and end my suffering? Am I cursed to remain here forever? Only to see my precious people fall and die to protect me… a monster!?'_

Hinata had been using her Byakugan, an ability that gives the Hyuga families user extrasensory ability in their eyes, to follow him when he had suddenly stopped. She didn't know whether to be relieved at him finally slowing down or scared out of her mind at his reaction to what had just transpired. She was horrified, when the next moment he fell in a lump on to the cold ground.

She ran to him, easily catching up with him now that he wasn't fleeing from her, when she saw the monument.

'_Oh, Naruto…'_ She thought deeply saddened by the sight in front of her. The strongest man she had ever known sat there helpless in front of the demons that plagued him. '_Why did it have to be you? Why couldn't it be anyone… anyone else but you?_'

Naruto knew what had to be done. It had finally come to this. He was going to put the demon inside him to rest. Everyone was gone, lost to the immortal earth. There was only one last step he needed to do. He pulled out a kunai and held it in front of his eyes. He watched as it maniacally glinted in the cruel moonlight. This was it. He pulled it up high above his head, and swung, bracing himself for the pain that would follow.

But it never did come. He soon felt hot blood trickle downward onto his muddy pants.

When he reopened his eyes he saw a light lilac shade return his glance. She had deep tears welled up and strewn across her beautifully soft face.

He sat in shock for but a moment, when he finally began, "w-w-why? Why? WHY? WHY HINATA?! WHY WON'T YOU JUST LET ME DIE LIKE THE DEMON THAT I AM?!" And he was only stopped from his despair by the touch of a cool tear running onto his face.

"Naruto," Her voice stung his heart, "How could you ever say that?"

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO HAVE THIS DEMON INSIDE YOU!" Naruto now screamed at her with his unbridled fury, "YOU HAVEN'T LOST EVERYTHING TO THAT DAMNED FOX! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LOSE EVERYONE THAT'S DEAR TO YOU! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

He felt the sting of Hinata's soft hand as she slapped him as hard as she could muster. He looked in her torn eyes as she began to spoke again.

"Yes I do! Do you think that you're the only one who has lost everyone dear to them? Do you forget that my cousin and teammates names rest on that monument behind you as well! Are you trying to disgrace them all with your flowing blood or are you really that stupid? They all died protecting the village! They died protecting you and me! Are you so far gone as to forget that! They gave up everything so that you and I and the village could live!" Her words battered him against his own emotions, "I may not know of the burden you carry inside of you because of the nine tailed Kyuubi, but it can't possibly be bad enough to kill yourself over in front of all the people you swore to protect! To disgrace all you held dear and abandon the people remaining in your life, IS THAT WHAT YOU HAVE LOWERED YOURSELF TO!" She now screamed at the young man in front of her.

He began to sputter before the words finally came, "The-there's no one left."

"OF COURSE THERE IS!" Hinata rebutted, as she now held him tightly against herself in a tight grasp.

"REALLY!" He pulled away and screamed at her in rage that had come back to him full force from seconds before. "WHO? EVERYONE'S DEAD! Iruka, Kakashi, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Sasuke, and Sakura, they're all dead!" Naruto ended in a whimper as he remembered their final deaths

"ME, YOU IDIOT! ME!" Hinata screamed at him, before finally succumbing to her own tears and the pain emanating from her back, collapsing back into his arms.

This completely shocked Naruto straight back into consciousness.

"What, Hinata?" He asked quietly as the questions inside him slapped him in the face.

"Me, me, me, me, me, Naruto, I…i…i… don't know what I would ever do without you." She said as she choked on the soft tears that fell around her.

"Hinata…" Naruto began before Hinata stopped him again with words spoken in sobs.

"I don't know what I'd ever do without you," she repeated, "When I was weak, you were my strength. When I fell, it was your face that allowed me to stand up. When the whole world crashed down around me, you remained there by my side unflinching. You have always been everyone's strength Naruto. You protected us all even when it looked like you would die trying, and even when those bastards from the village spoke down and cursed you falsely for being the demon. I knew all along! My father had forbidden me from ever speaking to you lest I infuriate the demon and get us all killed. He told me anything and everything to keep me away from your side, and yet you beat him in the end. You won me over with your kindness and spirit and love. You constantly saved the people in your life from fates far worse than death, eternal loneliness and misery, and you did so without asking anything in return. You are no demon! You're the best man I have ever known and I… I…

I LOVE YOU!" She finished while screaming into his chest.

"l-l-l-l-love?" Naruto stuttered, now completely dumbfounded by her confession.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Love!" Hinata said with a passion that betrayed her normally shy mystique.

"For how long?" Naruto said stoically.

"For as long as I can remember!" She proclaimed, in tears from the confession.

"But what about your fa-," Naruto began only to be cut off once again.

"I don't care! I've never cared! I love you and only you! She said in a definitive tone.

With this Naruto broke down in her arms, tears of happiness that radiated off his torrid body.

"Thank you, Hinata. Thank you." He said as tears streamed down his face and he sat there in her arms as they cried into each other.

* * *

After Naruto was finally able to stop the tears running down his face and start back with Hinata towards the Namikaze Clan House, he looked at Hinata with a look of apprehension.

"Hinata, I…" He started again, before being stopped by a finger to his lip.

"I know. I don't expect anything from you. I just thought that you had to know and that I had to tell you." She explained thoughtfully.

"Hinata… that's not it." Naruto began to explain, "I'm not sure of my feelings right now. I've never had anyone look at me like you do. I've dealt with family like Tsunade and Shizune and my friends, but I have never even had a girlfriend and never been truly cared for by anyone before in that way. I don't know what love is or what I should be feeling right now."

"I know… it's okay." Hinata reassured him, "But is it okay if I ask you a question?"

Naruto put on a quick thinking pose and seeing no harm agreed with a simple nod of his head.

"What do you feel now?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Well, I don't really know." Naruto said bluntly, "I feel calm, and a little uneasy, and I feel very grateful for what you said and did. I'm sorry for how I ran out on you earlier."

"It's okay. Truly, I shouldn't have said it like I did." Hinata said with a low tone of regret.

"That's alright." Naruto reassured her, "I understand what you were trying to get across now. I'm just sorry I didn't see it earlier."

"That's alright," She giggled, "You always were a little dense."

"Hey!" He said while he ran his right hand through his hair in indignation eliciting a small laugh from the woman.

"Hey, Naruto," Hinata began again. "Why wouldn't you let me walk with you earlier?"

"Oh, that. Well, you see…" Naruto started, trying to find the best words to state what he was trying to say, "When I was younger I never had a family, and the only times I was ever touched was when I was being beaten or scolded." With that Hinata began to bawl, but Naruto just kept going, "Even around Shizune and Tsunade-baa-chan, I was never really hugged because they figured I was too grown up for that. So I don't really know how to deal with people touching me in anyway except for a handshake or carrying me somewhere."

"Carrying you somewhere?" Hinata asked the obvious question as she sniffled in her remaining tears.

"Yeah, carrying me to the hospital because of my injuries. Or to another bed. Or trying to restrain me from leaving." Hinata laughed at the last one, even though she immediately felt bad for it.

"I understand now." Hinata said satisfied, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"No one ever really does." Naruto said calmly, "I think Gaara had more hugs growing up than I ever did."

It was sad, but Hinata giggled at the image of the current leader of the Village Hidden in the Sand and Naruto's best friend being embraced by his Amazon like sister.

Naruto just shrugged, smiling at the same idea that had been running through Hinata's head not a second earlier.

* * *

Something had gone horribly wrong. That was as much as they knew. Their targets had been completely calm one second and then in a flurry of tears they had run from them leaving them confused and dumbstruck just long enough for the others to disappear into the cold dark night. They now sat in the moonlight wondering what would happen next.

"Honey," Tenten began, "Why doesn't Naruto live here, when it's this beautiful?"

"I think it's because he doesn't have any real reason to. He really has nobody to enjoy it with." A somber Rock Lee responded.

"Why do you think he has never found anybody?" She questioned.

"Well," Rock Lee looked puzzled as if trying to find exactly the right way to phrase what came next. "It is because his springtime has ended and fall has set in around him."

Tenten looked extremely puzzled at the cryptic speech, but luckily Lee continued.

"Years ago that man lived for greater things and dreams than any of us could comprehend, but now he has obtained them all. Everything in his life's ambition has been fulfilled, but he has no one left to truly share it with."

"But that's not true! He has us, and Shizune, and Sai and the entire village!" Tenten angrily stated as if denying his entire premise.

"Yes, he does." Rock Lee reassured her, "But he can't see it. He's been blinded his whole life by misery and hardship, and the only people who ever truly let him into their lives have died before their time. Therefore he is continually lost to all those who would love him and care for him, because in truth…"

"he can't love himself." Rock Lee said with a mournful look on his face.

"What? Why not!?" Tenten fumed.

"He's completely forsaken himself. He sees his happiness as a sacrifice to the village, to his friends, as his way of repentance for those he couldn't save." Lee answered.

"That's stupid! Why haven't we done something for him? Tenten asked anger dripping from her voice.

"We can't." Lee simply stated

"Why not!" She asked again in irritation.

"BECAUSE HE WON'T LET US!" Lee now screamed as tears streamed down his face.

A shocked Tenten now beheld her strong husband weeping like a scolded child.

"I have tried. And tried. And tried." He bellowed, heaves coming from his torn soul. "Nothing makes it through. I can act as silly as I can, act as serious as the minute I was born, do anything and everything and leave nothing behind, but I can not mend his broken heart. He has forsaken it, and no matter my greatest efforts, I can not help him! It sickens me, to see as brave a man and loving as that one, die before my eyes from a broken heart, and me powerless but to watch him squirm and fester into the cold embrace of the dark end."

He sat there sobbing as his wife came gently to his side.

"It's ok," She cooed softly into his ear, "He is strong. And one day he will find the happiness that has eluded him. We must be strong with him, and do everything within our power, but in the end it seems, he is the only one who can find what he has been searching for.

"TENTEN!"

"LEE!"

"TENTEN!"

"LEE!"

They embraced each other and remained bawling in each other's arms for several minutes.

"What in the hell are you two doing?" They heard a familiar voice call out to them interrupting their happy tears.

"NARUTO!" Lee yelled out before standing up and embracing him in a gigantic hug, "Has your springtime returned from the depths of winters past?

"Yes, Lee, I think it finally has." Naruto said in an unwavering tone.

"NARUTO!" Lee yelled out happily as he crushed Naruto in a crippling hug.

"Lee, Thank you, but I really can't breathe." Naruto managed to get out with a light chuckle. This caused Lee to let out a small blush of embarrassment and set his friend down.

"Lee!" Naruto began in his best impression of Gai, "I know what you've been up to today. And let me just say that I am touched!"

With this Lee's eyes widened to saucers and he made a move to once again envelope Naruto in his iron grip before Naruto started again.

"But you still deceived me and entered my property without permission, so for that I must punish you. 1000 laps around Konoha tomorrow after you're done with your paperwork."

"YES, NARUTO-SENSEI!"

"And Lee," Naruto went to finish, "Tonight I command you to spend a lovely evening with your wife as far away from me as possible!"

"YES, NARUTO-SENSEI!"

"Go Lee!" Naruto said while sticking his thumb out in their sign of friendship.

"YES!" Lee said excitedly while picking up his wife and rushing from the spot in a blur of green.

"Some things never change, eh Hinata?" Naruto asked while stifling a laugh.

"Yep!" She smiled back at him. "I don't know how you put up with him!"

"Huh? Wasn't he your teammate?" Naruto replied questioningly.

"Yes, but even I wanted to kill him on a few occasions, especially with those damn hugs!" She replied as if pure venom had produced the tone.

"Wanna know a secret?" He said with a smile enveloping his face.

"Sure." Hinata said with an exasperated look still on her face.

"I've never once been hugged by him before now." Naruto smoothly replied.

"Oh…" Hinata said curiously, and then began again

"Hey Naruto," Hinata started hesitantly.

"Yeah, Hinata?" Naruto said questioningly.

"Well, um, I… I was just wondering," Naruto looked puzzled as Hinata stuttered, "If what you just told me is true, then how did you constantly avoid Lee's overzealous man-hugs while in the office?"

Naruto bellowed with laughter as Hinata's face went scarlet.

"Sorry Hinata, I don't have any tricks. I'm just faster than he is." Naruto said in a matter of fact kind of tone.

"Oh." Hinata said quietly, only to be silently screaming in her mind before a small stream of pouting tears came from her eyelids, '_DAMN IT AND I WAS SO CLOSE TO FINALLY FIGURING OUT HOW TO AVOID THOSE FREAKY HUGS!'_

Naruto silently laughed to himself at the look of pure disgust on the young woman's face, and thought of just how hard it must be to have Lee as a teammate.

"Hey Hinata, Do you still want to go on that date with me?

"Of course!" She blurted out.

"Alright, you already got treated for that wound." Naruto said as he pondered the over-protective nurses that had scowled at him at the hospital when he brought her into the emergency room to get her puncture wound at the side of her spine treated. "So that just means we have to get you cleaned up." He smiled at her as he noted the obvious grime that covered both of them from their talk in the mud.

"But, Naruto we'd have to go all the way across town before we could leave and then it would be too late! Not to mention the questions we would have to answer." Hinata profusely stated.

"I didn't say that!" Naruto replied lovingly, a blush enveloped his face, "If you want, I can wash it at my place."

"Well..." Hinata started with a blush now imminent on her face. "I guess that'd be okay."

"Yosh!" Naruto happily blurted out, causing a new layer to Hinata's blush before realizing the implications of what he's just said and stammering out, "No!! No! I didn't mean that! I swear!"

"It's alright, Naruto-kun," Hinata sheepishly admitted, "I don't mind."

"No, No, I'm not a pervert! I prom…Wh-Wait what?" Naruto asked completely taken aback by what he'd just heard.

"It's alright, I trust you." Hinata said stoically.

"Hmmm." Naruto weighed what he was told with the beatings that he had always taken from Sakura for his slips before deciding that she was sincere and that it truly was okay. "Alright then!" He stated cheerfully as they walked onward.

Upon arriving at the house, he was quick to find an oversized robe in his linen closet and he handed it to Hinata, and then ushered her into one of the back rooms so she could change in peace while he prepared the iron and washtub for her dress. He would have used a normal washing machine, but that would have taken too long. He went and banged on the door where an embarrassed Hinata handed him a small bunch of clothing to him around the door, which he quickly stuffed inside a small basket and threw inside the hot water he had prepared. He quickly undressed to his boxers and threw his muddy clothes in as well. He added a small amount of laundry soap to the water, and prepared a small sphere of chakra in his palm that resembled the Rasengan, his most powerful attack, to spin the clothes in a centrifuge.

After he felt that they were sufficiently cleaned he rinsed them one more time and he drained the water with a powerful ringing motion and threw them in the dryer. They took only a few minutes to dry from the super hot heating element, and he took them out piping hot and proceeded to iron his nice semi-formal suit and her dress. He had learned a lot of things from his old sensei Jiraiya, but he never found this particularly useful until now, seeing as how the only time he had to use it was for the old codger's clothes to begin with. He silently sang Jiraiya's praises as he finished a few minutes later, got dressed, and went to shut the door of the dryer as he left carrying the basket. And that's when he noticed something. There was still something in the bottom of the dryer. He looked curiously at the item in question, when all color in his cheeks quickly failed and he stood there staring in disbelief at the sight in front of him.

"Oh Shit." Naruto squeaked out loud to nobody in particular.

'_She didn't!' _Naruto thought in horror as the blush returned to his cheeks and then some as he pulled out the offending items only to confirm his suspicions.

He held in his hands a soft lilac pair of panties which matched her dress.

All words had left him. His eyes widened to a point of bursting. His mouth hung in terror. He stood there for several minutes, panties in hand, as he hyperventilated.

'_They must've got wet in the mud!'_ He thought in terror. '_WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? I…I…I…I…I'M NOT A PERVERT! I'M NOT A PERVERT! Calm down, nothing to be afraid of, just need to calm down and iron these, and then everything will be ok.'_

He fumbled with the underwear in his hand and thanked god that she was wearing a strapless dress which didn't require a bra, making him blush further as he tried to erase thoughts of a braless and now panty-less Hinata to no avail. He put it down and began to iron it only to burn himself twice in the process from nervous shaking hands, eliciting small whines of pain and embarrassment from the most powerful man in the village.

After ending the ordeal he folded them like lightning and placed them on the coat hanger which held her dress.

He raced to the door to the room she was in, and quickly banged on it, and after what felt like an eternity Hinata cautiously opened the door, only to have the hanger basically thrown at her, while Naruto retreated to the relaxation room.

Unfortunately for him, thinking he was in trouble or possibly injured, she followed after him without thinking of her state of dress.

She stepped out in nothing but a large robe, quite revealing to her beautiful form, supple figure and large assets, and Naruto shrieked in embarrassment before she looked down and realized it herself, quickly retreating back to the bedroom.

After a few agonizing minutes she stepped out once again in her gorgeous dress and saw Naruto sitting in his leather chair in a fetal position.

"Naruto, What Happened!?" She asked now very concerned.

Naruto just shuddered as he continued in his muffled sobs.

"Naruto, what is going on?" She asked him again.

"Your, your, your, underwear were in there!" He stammered out as she looked at him puzzlingly and finally giggled.

"Oh, I'm sorry Naruto-kun, I didn't mean to do that to you, it's just that I always have someone who does my clothes for me." She said non-chalantly. "It's not normally a big deal, and I wouldn't ever be allowed near something like a washer as a member of the main household normally. I just forgot, sorry."

Naruto's blush subsided to a dull roar, and deciding that he truly wasn't a pervert, he looked up and managed a sputtered "Oh…", before she looked at him and smiled.

"You did a wonderful job, Thank you very much!" She beamed, "So, are you ready to go?"

"Yes, Hinata, as ready as I'll ever be." Naruto replied as he stood up and walked with her out the door into the moonlit night.


	6. The Clouds Finally Depart

Dragonchips

The Curse of Lost Eyes

Ch. 6: The Clouds Finally Depart.

They walked in a mired silence. To say it was awkward was a hell of an understatement. To say it was tense would have implied that the razor thin wire they walked on didn't have a blade of diamond resting precariously on it. It wasn't that they had nothing to say, because they did. It wasn't that they hated each other, because they cared more deeply for each other than anyone else ever had.

Naruto walked in silence minding his feet which had become unfathomably heavy and clumsy, just trying not to look stupid in front of the beauty that walked gracefully beside him. His throat burned and itched from the parched air which had encompassed them. His outfit didn't help much either, it sat on him mockingly and was frustratingly binding to his movement. It seemed when he attempted to move his arms that his back would suddenly bind at the frail fabric and threaten to tear it in two with the strength of his latent muscles. His pants were no better, they were slightly too long and hung down his powerful legs a little too far fraying at the edges and threatening to send him into the ground below. The loafers, though designed for comfort, stifled his feet and made him uneasy with his footing. He had hardly worn anything but sandals throughout his entire life, so the change was quite a daunting one. Even when he had to meet with the dignitaries he would simply wear his Hokage's robes and they never would dare say a word. For a man who had only worn but two handfuls worth of outfits his entire life the entire clothing process was meticulous and painstaking in and of itself.

Hinata on the other hand was perfectly comfortable in her dress. Having been the dignitary for her clan and expected to always look her best for quite sometime, she was quite proficient in her attire. But, she was still not used to talking to Naruto about anything of real importance. She had always been the one to listen, and she soaked in his words as if she were a plant and they the rain. Being on the other end, and noticing his obvious discomfort she couldn't help but become nervous of herself again, and although she desperately wanted to talk to him her voice had gone mysteriously missing.

They trotted along in that dissonant silence for quite some time until Naruto looked up and smiled. "Hinata, we're here." He said happily.

"Where is here, exactly?" She said unsurely. She noticed that they were in front of a building that was supremely odd in its color and composition. It had streaks of every imaginable color, and even though it was night time, they all stuck out like a sore thumb against the monotone buildings they had just came from. Even in the pale moonlight and candlelight that illuminated the façade it was truly a unique sight to behold. Everywhere it seemed that pipes and corners just exploded in a grand fashion from the building itself. Its architecture was neither square nor rectangular, but rather that of a huge triangle that stood convincingly against its backdrop. The oddest thing about it though was that despite all of the discord several rosebushes of different colors adorned the side of the building in a neatly cut row. '_Wait? Rosebushes?'_ Hinata thought sharply as she saw a magnificent smile form on Naruto's face.

"You Noticed Hinata-chan!" He smiled feverishly.

"You mean that those are the same flowers that were at your estate?" Hinata asked questioningly.

Naruto let out a small chuckle in response and then happily bristled, "Yep! I opened this restaurant myself!"

"But! When? How? Why?" She sputtered out in disbelief.

He grinned even wider and put a hand through his hair, "Well, when I became Hokage, I had a distinct problem." He began with a glimmer in his eye. "Ichiraku Ramen had been the place I had eaten at for years, but because it was merely a stand it wasn't suitable to bring all of the important people that I had to meet with to. It simply was too small and too humble for some of the foreign powers. So, I had a tough decision to make. I wandered from one restaurant to another in search of a suitable replacement. But I never found any. They were all either too stuffy or too unsophisticated, and then an idea hit me out of nowhere. Why don't I build my own? I said. And so, I did, and I've been eating here ever since. It's an entirely modern restaurant with traditional and new-age tastes that fit my personality. They're all thoroughly bold and colorful." He chuckled at his own joke, but stopped when he noticed that Hinata had a scowl on her face.

"But Naruto, what happened to Ichiraku Ramen?" Hinata asked, remembering the quaint ramen shop that Naruto had so often fawned over in the past.

A grim look encompassed Naruto's face. "They shut down. With their favorite customer gone and brand new competition they sold to a newer rival and went out of business."

"That's so horrible! Why didn't you stop them?" Hinata asked furiously, surprised at the blondes lack of heart.

"Well, I would of, but then how would I have ever convinced them to let me buy their store and ask them to come and work for me?" Naruto said with a warm smile.

Hinata just stood there like a fish out of water. Her face went from anger to shock to happy and back to seething in less than a second. "So now they just work for you?" She asked in a miffed tone.

Naruto held back the urge to laugh, "Nope, this is their restaurant. I simply had it commissioned to be built and gave them the keys and the deed after it was finished. I commissioned Ayame to go out into the world for a year while the restaurant was being built to find and bring new recipes home for the glory of Konoha, which she did splendidly, and I asked Teuchi to settle down in his old age and become the head greeter and proprietor. All I ask is that I have somewhere I can go to escape the constant work, where I'm not Hokage and where people know me as Naruto." At the end of his impromptu speech he chuckled and looked at an awe struck Hinata who still was staring at him like he had pulled down a star from the vast heavens.

"But, I thought you bought their restaurant?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes I did." He beamed in retort.

"So you mean to tell me that you bought their restaurant, commissioned the previous owner's daughter to go out for a year and learn new techniques, then built them a new restaurant, and without asking for any money in return handed them the keys and wished them luck?"

"Yep, sure did!" He said without blinking.

"Is there anything else you did for them?" She asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Nothing much, just put Ayame through a prestigious culinary arts school for two years and bought them a very elaborate home on the outskirts of town." He added without a moment's thought.

Hinata was absolutely stunned at the blonde's generosity. He had single handedly set that family and its predecessors for life. He had bought them everything they would ever need and then some. She couldn't help but feel pride at her Naruto-kun's generosity, but she wondered how he had accomplished all that. She had to ask the obvious question, "Naruto, how much did all of that cost?"

He scowled at this. He started very slowly, "Hinata, I could never give those two people in there enough money. Without them I would have quite literally died before I reached the end of my academy days. You see, when I entered the academy I was put into my first apartment by the Third Hokage, and when I was young, none of the grocery stores or small markets would let me anywhere near them. They wouldn't sell me any food or if they did they charged me so much that I couldn't afford it. I didn't learn to eat ramen every day simply by choice. With no other way to eat I stumbled across their store one day after I had not eaten in a week and was on the verge of collapsing." A tear came across his cheek as he remembered the day he had found two of the nicest people in his world. "I walked up and asked the man what he served and how much it cost. You see, I couldn't read yet because no one ever taught me, and thus I couldn't read menus or see prices. That's why the other places could afford to gouge me so much. When he told me the price and what he had I was ecstatic. I quickly ordered one of his bowls, and I never tasted anything ever again as wonderful as that particular bowl. With the cost of ramen I could afford to eat there every single day, three times a day, and still have a little money left over. I do not hesitate to say that I would not be alive if it were not for their store and their kindness. They knew about the demon and yet they didn't hate me or scorn me, but rather treated me like one of their own family. They took care of me and provided for me. They wished me a fond greeting every morning and a longing farewell every evening. I can never do enough to repay them, ever. If there is ever something they should need all they will have to do is ask and it will be provided for them. Not that they will anyways. I practically had to force Teuchi to accept it all with his pride, and he was supremely pissed at me for all the next year for doing all of that." He smirked as he remembered the old gentlemen chasing him down the street trying to kill him for his kindness. "Besides, between what I made chasing down and destroying the Akatsuki, as the reigning Hokage, and the large inheritance I received as heir to the Namikaze clan's fortune, it was little more than a kick in the bucket. I found out that I literally own half of the Land of Fire."

Hinata stood there stunned. She was saddened terribly by what the young man had to endure in his early life, proud of the way he defended his loved ones, impressed by his feats during his still young life, and shocked at exactly how powerful he had become financially. She was not hurting for money by any stretch of the imagination, but if what he had said was true, and he was known never to lie unless it was extremely important, he was more well endowed than her entire clan and the powerful city which she called home.

He just smiled, "Do you understand why I never told anyone? If I had there's no telling who would want to be my friend or what kind of people they were. Most people think I'm only successful and therefore there is no need to panic or throw around unnecessary airs to impress me. People can be themselves and never acknowledge me for anything other than my skill as a leader and a ninja."

"Yes. I understand," She smiled warmly. "My family was always the exact opposite. We are rigid and don't accept change. Even though I have been the heir for nearly seven years now, I have yet to pass any lasting change other than the forbiddance of the Caged Bird Seal. It is frustrating and tiring to lead them. They act as if they were royalty and not ninja at all."

"It's amazing how they can carry on, isn't it Hinata?" Naruto asked sagely.

"Yes, it is." She affirmed.

Just then a monstrous growl erupted from the young leader's stomach. Naruto looked at Hinata with a grin encompassing his face. "Well, I guess that my stomach's angry at me for waiting out in front of the restaurant this entire time, so let's go in, okay?" He asked in a mock whine.

She giggled. "Of course, lead the way."

* * *

Teuchi, the owner of the best restaurant in Konoha was quietly enjoying his evening. The dinner rush had ended and all that was left as to finish cleaning up for the evening. He was now sixty five and legally retired. He had kept his position as head greeter and proprietor only as thanks to his favorite customer and to have something left to do in his old age. He was happy and content. He wanted for nothing and he enjoyed the world with fervor. As his new restaurant was being built he had traveled the world. He was at peace now. His life's goal had been accomplished and his daughter and her family would grow up with everything he didn't during his youth. One young man had changed his entire fortune and he was eternally grateful.

Just then the man whom he loved like the son he had never walked in through the front doors of his establishment. _'Well, damn there went my peaceful night.'_ He thought as he walked straight up to the young man and looked at him fondly. He saw Naruto reach his hand out to shake his, and Teuchi looked up and smiled, only to soon throttle the young man in front of him.

"You idiot! How many times do I have to tell you not to try to leave your money here! You will never pay me, ever again, do you understand!" And with this Teuchi shoved the wad of bills Naruto had left him during his last visit into his pocket and let go of his neck. "We're closed, brat. Come back later." He said in a gruff tone.

"Ah, but Teuchi-san you know I hate to not pay you for your services! And can't you make an exception this one time?" Naruto pleaded with his friend.

"No buts and I said we're clo…" He stopped in mid sentence when he noticed the lovely lady that stood next to Naruto and noticed that she had a look of pure terror on her face from the earlier greeting. "Hello, my dear, any friend of Naruto's is welcome here at any time. He's just a pain in the ass sometimes. I gotta keep him straight or I'd never go home. We'd just be cooking him ramen all day and night every day of the year."

Hinata chuckled and bowed gratefully, and the older man returned the gesture before turning to the back. "Hey, Ayame! Keep the kitchen open! Our favorite guest is here!"

With this a beautiful lady appeared from the kitchen. She had a plain but pretty physique, brown hair, brown eyes, and was dressed in a chef's outfit and toke. She appeared to be about thirty and was aging flawlessly. She rushed up to Naruto and enveloped him in a crushing hug. "NARUTO-KUN!! I haven't seen you in a week!" She mockingly scolded the boy before finally releasing him from her grasp. She looked up to see Hinata standing there confused at the heartwarming scene and immediately began scolding her father. "Father! You didn't say he had a guest!" She smacked Teuchi on the head for good measure.

"OW! You never asked!" He stated before being hit yet again by his young daughter and causing Hinata to giggle at the pair's antics.

"Idiot! I would've at least taken my apron off! Anyways, I'm sorry for being so rude and for my father's carelessness. I'm Ayame, the head chef here at The Hokage's Cuisine and this is my father Teuchi. It is a pleasure to have you here." She said as she bowed respectfully.

"Ayame, Teuchi, this is Hinata Hyuga-san." Naruto introduced.

With this the father and daughter's eyes went huge. They knew of course of the leader of the Hyuga clan even though they had never seen her in person before, not to mention that they had often listened to Naruto talk of the young woman while sitting alone. Her beauty though he had not nor did they think he could relate to them. Her skin was a milky white and velvety smooth. Her long dark blue flowing hair accentuated her calm lilac eyes. She had a figure that any woman would have killed to have and any man killed to caress. She was flawless and the simple light purple dress she wore only accentuated her natural beauty. It was in fact the first woman that Naruto had ever brought to their new establishment that was more than just an acquaintance.

The two once again bowed, but deeper this time, which Hinata quickly returned.

With this, Teuchi took command. He hadn't seen his favorite customer this happy in years. It was once again the same carefree boy he had met all those years ago. He was determined to make their night in his establishment go perfectly. He politely sat them at his best table. It was designed for two people, and Teuchi had effectively dubbed it the Honeymooner's Suite. It had a grand view of Konoha's Hokage monument, and was effectively the heart of the restaurant. He had only wished it could have been sunset so they could enjoy the beautiful horizons that unfolded in those seats. He quickly settled them in with water, bread, freshly cut roses, and menus and went into the back to find his best bottle of wine in the humidor.

Hinata was absorbed in the beauty of the restaurant. She had never seen anything quite like it. It had a bright and warming feeling to it. The motif inside focused around white and black with finely polished brass and silver for good measure. But what was truly unique was the ceiling. The center was made of a domed sunroof which now housed the impression of the dark sky upon it. The individual constellations and a waning tip of the third quarter moon shone throughout the now quiet restaurant. It was very sleek, but not cheesy, and fit the overall scheme well. Where there was not the sky there was an emerald green tile on the ceiling which was elegant, but not overpowering. The entire restaurant had a sleek modern feel to it. She looked at the menu and was shocked to see not only the elegance of the dishes but the price attached to them. She looked worried for a second before rethinking Naruto's earlier argument and lightly chuckling.

Teuchi returned with a silver bucket filled with ice and showing the top of a fine wine bottle. Naruto looked ready to protest at the obvious expense, but Teuchi sent him a glare which reeked of death and Naruto quickly stopped. He quickly explained the wine selection, a rare red wine which was found only on the border of Iwakagure in the Land of Earth, and asked for their orders.

Hinata looked uncertain, but Naruto was already certain of what he had wanted before Teuchi had sent him another glare which obviously said, '_Let the Lady order first, you idiot!'_ and Naruto quietly complied, rethinking his etiquette. Hinata was looking at the menu, but just couldn't choose until she finally saw something that piqued her taste buds. "I will have the Mahi-Mahi Tuna dish please." She said confidently.

"I will have the same." Naruto said bluntly, "And let us please start with the Calamari no Fritti." Teuchi looked absolutely stunned, Hinata stared at him with her mouth open, and Ayame dropped a pan she was putting away in the back.

"You don't have to eat anything fancy for me Naruto-kun." Hinata offered sheepishly knowing of the man's obsession with any form of ramen.

Naruto just smiled. "Of course I don't. But, it sounds wonderful, and I'm not in the mood for Ramen tonight."

With this Teuchi almost fainted, Hinata worried silently about his health, and Ayame singed her finger on an open flame she had just started for the Tuna.

Naruto crossed his arms in obvious aggravation with the situation. "You know, I do like other things besides ramen." They all looked on in disbelief. "When the ramen stand closed for a year before we opened here, and when I went training with Jiraiya, I had to find new food to eat. What? Why are you all staring at me like that?" He asked his friends in indignation only to receive blank stares which began his muttering of some friends and I'm not a ramen freak.

Teuchi finally regained his composure at the sight of Naruto ordering something other than ramen in his restaurant, sighed at the fact that Naruto was finally growing up, and went back to give Ayame the order.

"You really didn't have to…" Hinata started once again.

"Hinata, I'm not lying to you and I'm not ill, I do like other things you know." He said while grinning at his reputation.

"Ok, if you insist." She hesitantly replied.

He lifted up his chilled wine glass which prompted Hinata to do the same. "To many years of happiness and peace and to growing friendships in our burgeoning lives. Cheers." He said poignantly before joining their glasses, smelling it for bouquet, and slowly sipping on the dark red liquid."

Hinata said her cheers and did the same. She never knew how much of a gentleman Naruto could be when he wanted to. He had grown up so much and it brought a sad smile to her face to know he had changed so greatly over the years, luckily though, it seemed all for the better.

"Naruto-kun?" She began to get a quiet nod in reply, "I noticed that the rosebushes were identical to the ones on your property. Where did you get them?"

He smiled widely and scratched his head in modesty, "The Lord of the Land of Fire gave me the original young seeds and I proceeded to plant them and nurture them until they got to be where they are today. The rosebushes here are the second generation, and are kept by my hand."

"Really, I didn't know you enjoy horticulturalism." She said in an incredulous tone.

"Yes, it's my favorite hobby. I really enjoy all different kinds of plants. I will show you my garden another day." He said in a promising smile.

"But how do you take care of them when you're so busy?" She asked.

"Shadow clones. They really enjoy it as well, even though I make sure to check the plants myself at least once a month for quality control. I also use them to maintain the property while I'm away." Naruto said in a matter of fact kind of tone.

"Oh, I see." Hinata said shyly, "Naruto-kun?" She started.

"Yes Hinata-chan?" Naruto prodded her forward.

"Why don't you live at the Namikaze residence?" She asked politely.

"Well that's an easy one," He said with a mocking grin, "I don't have anyone to share it with and it's just too big for me to live in alone. Even with Shizune and Sai there's just not enough people to live in it properly. Therefore the Hokage's mansion is a much easier place for me to live right now.

"Why haven't you found anyone else yet Naruto-kun?" She boldly asked.

"Well I could ask you the same thing, Hinata-chan?" He chided her playfully.

"That's not fair!" She pouted. But before Naruto could answer her question the calamari appetizer arrived.

They both were starving and they dove right in. The ecstasy of the meal began. The calamari was lightly breaded which produced a light crust that melded with the natural stringiness of the calamari and was added to with a hint of lemon juice that tied together the white-capricorn sauce that accompanied the dish into a beautiful symphony of texture and taste. It was quite possibly the best thing that Hinata had ever tasted, and she was indebted to Naruto for ordering it for them. They finished the calamari, Naruto resisting the urge to scrounge the crumbs off of the bottom of the dish. They were surprised when suddenly an onion with a form of cheese on its top was placed in front of them.

"This soup is a specially prepared dish that was first encountered in the land of water. It is made with mostly onion, wine, cheese, and a few secret ingredients. Please enjoy." Teuchi humbly bowed and exited.

The taste was sensational. It was creamy and sweet and along with the melted cheese that accompanied it, it was filling and rewarding and wonderfully soothing. After they had all but finished it, Teuchi brought out two plates and sat them down in front of them.

The Mahi-Mahi was presented simply, on white square plates with springs and greens on top and a red sauce that was drizzled on the side. After Hinata's first encounter with the calamari, she couldn't wait to try the fish. With a quick Itadakimasu she dove in. She took in her first bite with the leafy greens and the fish and her taste buds jumped at the sensation. The texture was loose and soft the tuna was creamy and delicious and the springs gave it a subtle flavor of the earth. The wine went spectacularly with the dish.

It was all a joy to behold, the dish and the subtle silence that encompassed them. A grateful and wonderful silence so unlike that which they had walked in during the beginning of their evening. It was a healing silence, the years of torture and torment, washing away in the company of good friends.

And before they knew it dessert had arrived. Naruto looked questioningly at the man, knowing that he didn't order dessert, but he received another of Teuchi's cold stares which dared him to say anything about it.

Naruto was glad he didn't. The dish was a simple one. Vanilla ice cream topped in caramel, strawberries, and pecans, but there was a special sweet and tart sauce which was drizzled on for effect. The taste was layered and the sweet and tang fought with each other for dominance in a smooth and rich fashion. Naruto resolved that he would order this at the end of every meal, no matter how much ramen or other dishes he ate from that point forward.

It was heaven on earth, but ended all too soon. The young couple bid their goodbyes to the owner and his daughter before walking out into the late pale moonlight. They walked in a warm quiet waltz on the way back to the Hyuga manor. It was silent, yes, but neither one was uncomfortable. It had been a magical night and their quiet walk through the luscious landscape cemented the night long dream.

Just before the gate of the Hyuga manor Naruto stopped Hinata to bid her farewell. Unfortunately, their clan was still less than warm to Naruto for his role as the demon container. To avoid any conflict he stopped her and bid her farewell.

"Hinata-chan tonight was one of the happiest nights of my life. Thank you. Thank you so much." He began to sob at the amount of sheer joy he had the evening and the cruel ending of it all.

She drew him into a warm embrace which he leaned into. "I know that your life has been one of toughness and solitude Naruto-kun. But if you would only allow me to, I would fill it every night with happiness and love." She whispered in his ear.

"Thank you Hinata, thank you. That means so much. Goodnight." And with his final words he removed himself from her embrace and gave her a cute smile.

She leaned back in and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "Goodnight Naruto-kun, see you tomorrow." She departed before Naruto could see the red in her cheeks or the faintness in her steps derived from her sudden boldness.

As she left, Naruto stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds. He had never been on a date before, never been hugged in a loving fashion before, and he certainly had never been kissed before. When he finally regained consciousness he exclaimed a quick, "YOSH!" and ran the entire way back to the Hokage estates with a brazen smile on his face.

* * *

Hanabi had been surprised when Hinata had told her earlier that she'd be going out with her old friend for dinner, but now that it was fast approaching midnight she was flabbergasted by her actions. As Hinata snuck in the front gates, Hanabi cleared her throat, and Hinata sensing she'd been caught walked up with a huge smile on her face.

"So how was your date Onee-chan?" Hanabi amusingly asked.

"It was heavenly. I'm exhausted. I'll tell you about it in the morning." Hinata quickly replied.

"Ok, I'm happy for you, goodnight!" Hanabi exclaimed as Hinata quickly found her way to her room.

As she lay in bed images of the day's events took hold of her and one by one as they passed her by, she slowly drifted away into the warm moonlit night.


End file.
